1
0
Superstitions are present everywhere, and you have likely encountered many or will in the future.
Don’t walk under ladders. Avoid opening umbrellas indoors. The witching hour is 3 a.m. And, there are more. Usually brought to fruition by collective agreement or by an authoritative figure, below are six popular superstitions from around the world and what their origins are.
Knocking on wood: Indo-European, Celtic, possibly British
A well-known and nearly universal superstition, it’s commonplace throughout the world to see different cultures take on part or all of this superstition. The actual origins and meaning of the superstition does vary from culture to culture, with the Indo-Europeans and Celtics believing that good and bad spirits who resided in trees could be called on or chased away by knocking on the wood they’ve taken residency in. Some Christians connect the act of knocking on wood to the spiritual power of the crucifix. Among these differences, historians have derived the most likely source of the modern day practice to “Tiggy Touchwood,” a 19th Century British children’s game, where players would touch the nearest piece of wood to be immune to being tagged. Adults picked up the habit and phrase, likely mixing it with their beliefs to form the superstition it is today.
Throwing salt over your shoulder: European/Christian, ancient Roman
Possibly the second most popular superstition in the Western world. As with “knocking on wood,” throwing salt over your shoulder is thought to ward off evil. Christians felt that act warded off the devil himself. This was likely popularized by Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” where Jesus’s betrayer Judas is seen accidentally spilling over salt. The story goes that since Judas is associated with something bad and he accidentally spilled salt, throwing it over your shoulder would bind the devil wanting to tempt you.
Walking under a ladder: European/Christian, possibly Egyptian
This superstition has its roots within the Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity, which came to be associated with triangles (due to the three points/sides lining up with the Christian values of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit). Since a ladder would form a triangle from whatever it was leaning on, walking under a ladder would be seen as destroying the sanctity of the Holy Trinity and could incur punishment. Along with this, the Egyptians apparently thought that one could accidentally spot a god on the ladder so they tended to avoid it.
Broken mirrors: Ancient Greek/Roman, etc.
Also a near universal superstition, the belief that a broken mirror will bring bad luck or misfortune mainly comes from the simple fact that our reflection has become uncanny or unnerving to look at. This has made cultures nearly 
everywhere have broken mirrors with bad associations, like the Greek myth of Narcissus, or the thought that a crack in the mirror would break its charm or trap one’s soul. However, it was the ancient Romans who popularized the notion that a broken mirror would bring seven years of bad luck. Since it was thought that only poor health would cause a mirror to crack, and it was believed that it took seven years to be renewed and free of sickness, broken mirrors were thought to foretell of a seven-year spiral of pain.
Lucky Pennies: Ancient Roman, English, American
The idea of a lucky penny or a lucky coin comes from folk beliefs, with this case there was an idea that metal (regarded as valuable by many cultures) was sent by the gods to protect those who they favor. But the luck could go either way, with some saying that if you find a penny heads up, you should turn it over and leave it for the next person, or you’ll actually have bad luck.
Crossing Your Fingers: Western Europe, Pagan
Crossing your fingers for good luck comes from pre-Christian pagan times in western Europe. The practice back then had you make a cross with your index finger and the index of another, which was believed to concentrate the forces of good spirits and seal a pact or wish with the fellow crosser. Over time, people started blessing their own wishes by crossing their fingers like we do today.
Author
